German Car Zone

^^^ This press release isn't about all that, it's about two things basicly, the new 8-speed and the V12. All the other technologies have been explained in other press releases....
You try to sound too much like the Top Gear guys. This 'irrelevant tech jargon' is what makes the 760i the new king of it's segment

Not at all, I'm just speaking from a normal persons perspective. You should ask yourself the "So what?" question. Inventions on their own are insignificant, it's the magnitude of what thy do that account for how relevant they are. Hybrids, adaptive cruise control, Pre-Safe, DSG, and adaptive suspension are all technological advancements which have an affect that clearly distinguish a car from another without the technology.

70% of the 760i press release describe things that don't really tell me what the car can do for me. It's benefits that matter in life, not features. The same can be said for an ad Audi made for the B7 A4 which stated that the car is protected by 1500 patents. There is nothing remarkable about 1500 patents since pretty much all the cars on the market are protected by an equal number of patents.

Just sales? My my how sales don't matter when they aren't for team BMW. Sales do matter just like the 8-speed and new V12 matter.

The 7-Series may win a battle or two, but when the rich reach for a car in this segment they reach for the S-Class. The S-Class wins the war. It did years ago. There have been many shots fired over the bow....the 1988 V12 750iL, the 1990 Lexus LS400 and the A8...yet at the end of the day...there it is..the S-Class. The next shot will be the new A8 and Jaguar XJ and just as those cars creep ever closer...a new S arrives. Poof! Their growing advantages are gone.

BMW's image (even by our creative marketing folks) isn't big enough to sell cars in the 100K+ range. You'll see S600s all day long and a few S65 AMGs, but you'll be lucky if you see a 760Li ever. I've seen maybe 2 since 2002!

Just like the 3-Series might lose a comparison test every blue moon, it is still the segment leader same thing applies for the S-Class.

A new V12 and a 8-speed transmission isn't going to change that overnight. Now who is it that always says wait and see how it drives before declaring all this "best" nonsense?

There are certain cars that just define their segments even if they aren't the absolute best car year and year out....the S-Class is that car. The W220 had been surpassed in several key areas, but the W221 doesn't suffer from people shying away from it because of the stain the W220 put on the S-Class either.


M

Klier, back off S-class has the image and reputation, very hard to beat S-class in sales, probably impossible. Same goes for BMW 3-series.
Its more important for a carmaker to beat previous generation of the same model in sales, thats the real challenge. Being a sales leader is just a big bonus.

It's actually not impossible. The success of the S-class comes down to first impression. When ever Mercedes unveils a new S-class, every other luxury car manufacturer pay attention. Because of the innovations and alien technology that a new S-class presents, every new generation has a smashing entry. Therefore one can always lay a deposit on a new S-class fully confident that the car has the latest technology. Hence being labelled the "best car in the world".

Take a close look at the new 7er. It's an excellent luxury car but there is nothing about it that makes you fall of your chair. BMW and Audi always does the minimum which is presenting a car that is slight better than the S-Class. They don't go beyond what's expected and that is why they fail to gain the prestige as the Benz. So by default the competitors are already a bit old the minute they are unveiled as they completely fall into the shadow when the new generation S-class hits the dealers. Competitors need to develop cars that are two steps ahead of the S-class rather than just replicating its capabilities.

Long live the king..

Fully agree. BMW or Audi are doing excellent cars. But they are not upping the game like every S-Class does. They're spending their time running after the S, sometimes they do catch up but the S immediately takes some distance. In the long run it's almost constantly ahead, and at every new generation the S maks them look like things of the past.

The new 7er is a superb car, looks nice and all, but it didn't bring anything relevant to the segment.
It has some minor innovations like 4-wheel steering or 8-speeds, that's all. We already know the next S will feature a revolution in its suspension...

The only 7er that could've threaten the S was the e65... But it was so ugly, so poorly build with super-cheap materials all over the interior, so unfinished in its ergonomic concept, that it only failed to realize its promises.

The A8 currently looks superb, but technicallywise it's a bad joke.

I could see my first F01 today. Had no time to study it. Was deep blue, nice multi-spoke wheels.
I was totally underwhelmed. The car looks totally anonymous. Another nice-looking big Beemer, but really nothing more. I didn't expect that, in pics it's much better in fact!

It's handsome, but hardly majestic. Doesn't give the same "Wow, look at that" impression as the S-Class. Without the front it could've been more elegant than the S, but...

I think it just drifted at the third place, behind the outgoing A8 (but still magnificent looking) in my books.

The King is undoubtedly the S. Undoubtedly. FL or not FL.

^^
Great, so you finally got to see it. I was overwhelmed too but the lack of newness in the design. The profile is dead gorgeous and the organic tail lights are pretty but putting the E65 front-end on the car was a big mistake. Too many familiar elements to look at. Driving dynamics should be excellent and BMW should certainly bring on a 760is of some sort to make the car to create some excitement around the car.

Because you love Mercedes and all. When you love BMW, you look at a big Merc just as you look at the 7er That is a simple fact.

Anyways, for the first time the 7er and S complement eachother quite quite well, and are about equally good, just different.

yes, the car is really handsome. Looks really really good, only the front is not really elegant.

It's for me the best-looking current BMW, really harmonious with spot-on proportions. The front is not that bad, but not flowing with the rest.
I particularly appreciate the cleanliness of the design, quite refreshing.

But it doesn't look like $100.000. It just doesn't. It doesn't exsude luxury and class like the S or S8 do. That is a major disappointment.

I'm gonna try to seat in one, to see if the interior's as nice as some said (in pics it looks like a very-well designed interior, but many buttons are really bugging me as they look quite basic). I'm quite sensitive when it comes to finish and materials as you may have noticed.

The W221 has perfect finish/materials, but the design doesn't really convince me... Which can be said for the exterior, too: majestic, imposing, expensive-looking, but not as elegant as it could've been, with these huge wheel archs. The S8 looks nicer overall, in fact it's for me the most elegant inside and out.

But the comfort, technology, and even quality are not on par with the S.

It's a complete surprise for me, but the A8 (to be more specific, the S8) is still the closer you can get of the mighty S. The F01 didn't convince me.

The S offers an alliance of engineering, aura, class, innovations, comfort and elegance still far ahead of the competition. Some may rival the S in this or that area, but as an overall package it's still untouchable.